The report of the aged care taskforce released on Tuesday makes the argument that people who can afford to contribute to the cost of their care should contribute.
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It's how the childcare industry addressed many of the same challenges and it helped it become more accessible.
More Australians are getting older and seeking to access the aged care system.
Most people are not adequately prepared or equipped to meet the demands associated with the dual burden of caring for ageing parent responsibilities while trying to take care of their own families.
Our ageing population, increased cost of living and onerous red tape means more Australians will be forced to forego caring for their parents in order to take care of their own families.
Governments need to start making long-term investments to solve long-term problems.
Australians are having kids later in life so they're more likely to find themselves caring for elderly parents and their young family at the same time.
It places a huge emotional and exhaustive financial strain on families, not to mention the guilt they feel for not being able to be there for everyone. Families are going to max out their care capacity.
About 1.5 million middle-aged Australians are "sandwiched" between caring for both their parents and their children, and it's a problem that will reach critical proportions in 10 years.
There's a hidden army of grandparents helping their adult children with childcare arrangements, but what happens when the elderly parents of adult children decline in health and need care themselves?
The reality is that as these grandparents age and start to encounter health problems, responsibilities shift to the adult children to support their elderly parents whilst still having to look after their own children.
Australia is on the brink of a healthcare crisis because of its ageing population and there's an urgent need to find comprehensive solutions to affordable aged care and healthcare.
Yes, families are stretched, they're already paying rent and mortgages and struggling to meet the costs of raising their own families. Do they have the capacity to care for their ageing parents, possibly not?
There are cases of elderly people freezing to death in their homes and dying from dehydration, over summer.
This is happening with a small ageing population. Imagine the impact when the majority of the population is over 65.
The government is not in control of this problem and is not equipped to solve it because it's currently led by people that won't be impacted so they don't see it as their problem.
There are sustainable caregiving arrangements to help address the long-term challenges associated with caring for our ageing population and advances in administrative healthcare technologies is only a small part of the solution:
Cost of living - The increased cost of living means Australians are paying more healthcare costs, including medical treatments, equipment, medications, and specialised care. Having a clear plan can prevent unexpected costs and provide a roadmap for future care.
Ageing population - Solving the ageing population crisis requires a coordinated and multi-faceted approach that involves not only government but investment, innovation and support from the private sector to provide long-term solutions to long-term problems.
Infrastructure - Adapting the home environment for ageing parents, including accessibility modifications, may be a consideration and have less impact on the family's budget than moving them to an aged care facility.
Carers Leave - We need to think differently about how we use carers leave. Having access to carers leave doesn't have to be a life or death situation. It's dedicated leave to help ease the financial strain on employees who may otherwise need to take unpaid time off to spend time with their ageing parents.
Improved tech administration - Part of the solution is using technology to remove the emotional pain caused by navigating healthcare so people have more time to spend with their families.
Private enterprise is crucial to grow healthcare infrastructure and services to meet the urgent need for healthcare services to support Australia's ageing population.
- Mark Woodland is the co-founder and chief executive of Kismet.
